Public Sector Cloud Computing Adoption and Utilization during COVID-19: An Agenda for Research and Practice

Abstract

Cloud computing became a pivotal crisis response tool for many public sector organizations (PSOs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, sustaining public service delivery and public sector operations during times of extraordinary global turmoil. The technology’s inherent strengths of flexibility, innovation, resilience, and collaboration prompted PSOs to aggressively pursue both the initial adoption of cloud and the expansion of already-existing cloud computing capabilities. Despite the importance of the emerging topic of crisis-driven public sector cloud adoption for future crisis response efforts and the post-crisis transition to regular public sector operations, academic literature and empirics are sparse and present a distinct knowledge gap. This article assesses crisis-driven public sector cloud computing adoption and expanded utilization and provides recommendations for the advancement of research and practice, supporting future research, collaboration, and evidence-based cloud computing implementation and utilization.

Keywords: Cloud Computing, Government, Public Sector, COVID-19, Research and Practice